Saturday 28 November 2015

Christmas is coming

I have been madly sewing gifts and one that I was making 12 times over for the lovely people that I work with has been a disaster so I am going to have to rethink that and put what I was making in the problem solving file for later. Maybe I will call that a head start for gift giving next year.

Anyway I have completed two more projects. They are Secret Santa Presents. One is a Christmas bunting using Nancy Halverson's fabrics. I have another 70 or so squares cut to sew up and they may become coasters to replace the above mentioned disaster. But this is the bunting.








I also made up a set of coasters for another Secret Santa present, quick and easy to do and am really happy with these.



Happy Stitching as you count down to Christmas.

Jenell

Thursday 19 November 2015

Something Finished Well Before Christmas

I am on a bit of a roll. Work is crazy involving very long days but there always has to be time to sew. Usually this is very early in the morning. While others are out jogging, the distance I cover is on the sewing machine.

I have finished the towels which were on my Finish-Along Quarter 4 list and as they are Christmas presents I am happy to have them ready to go so early. Not very exciting photos but here they are.

Happy stitching

Jenell



Saturday 7 November 2015

Flowers

My blog tag line includes flowers. 


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This is the beautiful day lily which has flowered for the first time since it came into my possession. I think I have had it for seven years. Until 2 months ago it was in a pot. Now that it is in the ground it has flowered. Not the colour I thought it would be but what a great surprise. I was expecting it to be yellow. It is a beauty.

Third and Final Table Runner for 2015




I have finished my third table runner this year and it is a sweet finish and is was on the list for 2015 Finish Along Q4. It was started for one challenge but I wasn't happy with it meeting the brief for that particular challenge and made a different one to send. This table runner is made from two Moda charm square packs ' Gooseberry'.




The brief for the group table runner was to use one floral, two checks and three hexagons, all in the runner top. Gooseberry does not have any checks and following a conversation with the group member who led the challenge I managed to mix up the requirements and substituted the checks for spots. So again it did not look like it would meet this challenge.

When I realised my mistake I purchased two checks which complemented the Gooseberry charm squares and used them to make the hexagons which are 1/2 inch hexies put together to make the corner flowers. 





So it just scrapes in to meet the criteria.




I quilted it on my ancient Bernina using a circle of hearts stencil. This is the first time I have used such a loopy quilting design on this scale. It is rough, but on the front it looks pretty good, better than the back anyway.











I am happy with the finish. It is a pretty fabric line.

Now to get all those cupcake oven mitts completed.

Happy Stitching.

Jenell

Wednesday 4 November 2015

First Finish Along Finish

Hooray,

I have actually completed something.  This was on my list for the Finish-Along Quarter 4 List . Wonders will never cease. The Goody Goody Binding bag for my group Christmas swap has been finished. This was a fun finish and very easy to make. The instructions via this link  http://lellaboutique.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/goody-goody-binding-kit.html are clear and easy to follow.

My partner requested bright spring colours, particularly yellow and said that she liked spotty dotty fabrics. 





I pulled out all my Riley Blake spots and dots for this. I had a small fabric roll of small spots in many colour ways which were joined to make the outer panel. I also had a selection of Riley Blake larger spot fat quarters. 

I decided to embroider her name for the front and and also embroidered the scissor holder inside. I wanted to continue the spring look with the embroidery.



I have added a spotty fat quarter, retractable tape measure and cute floral print scissors which complement the stitched scissor pocket. Of course there is thread for binding.





The only item left to add is a chocolate bar or two which I will leave until the day I have to give it as it is really warming up here and a melted mass is not a good gift.



It is good to have a finish and an early finish at that, a month before it is due to be handed over.

Happy Stitching

Jenell